12

When in the Army, I found that there wereseveral courses that were good for a laugh:Geneva Convention, Military Justice, VDtraining, to name a few. But after basic, thetraining got much more specific and SquadTactical Training was my favorite. STT wasthe highest expression of the infantryman'sart (I stole that phrase). Patrol!, even morethan Sniper!, seems to express that art in aclear and precise manner, as well as beingquite realistic. So, being addicted to tacticson this level, and conflict simulations in andof themselves, I found that Patrol! hasbecome my favorite game. However, like any'artform,' squad tactics have some verygeneral rules (flexible to be sure) which allowmaneuver and mission accomplishment tooccur with a minimum of loss. I will endeavorto express these and give some organizationaland weapons data which SPI has omitted.

TACTICSLooking at Patrol!, the wargamer noticesthat he commands not a division, brigade orbattalion, but a squad, sometimes rein-forced, of five to fifty men. Each counter isone man, variously armed. The fact that hehas only one unit of infantry should lead tothis conclusion:

Sacrifice of men in the course of a mission is(with only a few exceptions) detrimental tothe accomplishment of the mission. (Ob-viously, trading one for a tank or loaded APCis one of these exceptions.) However, the lossof a single man could mean the loss of thegame (if you've had your only satchel chargecarrier shot down in clear terrain where aWE is unlikely, you know what I mean).Therefore, conservation of elements shouldbe of prime concern. This is accomplishedby:

1. Terrain: The lay of the ground is far moreimportant in this snpertactical game than inany other format. A battalion caught in theopen in Wurzburg is far more secure thanAmov two hexes on the wrong side of a slope.The battalion may only have to retreat;Amov is at least wounded (distance issecondary, see how little an MG decreasesover range). So:

a) Stay behind slopes as much as possible.They protect without prohibitive movementcosts. Except for a grenade tossed over thetop (something which may be prevented) themembers of your squad may, with impunity,prepare for the assault which carries the

OPERATIONAL ANALYSIS:

PATROL!Tactics in the Raw

by Jon-Dane Lukasfield. This applies for all situations; slopesare the best cover.b) If slopes are inconvenient (too far, toonear) the next best terrain is Rough Nr. 2.Remember, however, that the MovementPoint costs are often prohibitive, and that themen in fire-effective (i.e., outer fringes)positions are not immune to fire.c) The best that can be said for Rough Nr. 1is that it will do in a pinch.d) Clear terrain is no-man's land, except forbrief passage (preferrably at great distance).This brings me to the second element of thesquad's environment.

2. Movement and Posture: Move! As thetraining NCO's at Ft. Polk say: "They can'thit what they can't see, but if they have to seeyou, move .around." However; if theycan't move, a prone man has a greaterDefensive Strength than an erect one.

3. Distance: By this I mean distance betweenelements of your squad. The "fireteam filewith point," which is forced upon the Playerin the Patrol Situation, is by far the worstformation. The line of men one behind theother is an excellent target for enfilading fire(EF). If this formation is used in an AmbushSituation, your opponent will usually let yourpoint-man through, and beat the hell out ofyour column, leaving the point-man to gohome and tell the sad story.

In a Recon, Assault or Raid Situation, all ofyour firepower is to the sides when it isneeded at the front.The two best formations (relatively) are theopen wedge and the open skirmish line.Placing a five-element wedge as the point,with enough distance between elements toprevent or minimize grenade blast effects,and following that up with a second openwedge in an Ambush, Raid or Recon, willalways give you a minimum of 50% of yourforce to fight back. The average distancebetween wedges should be about 25-35meters (5-6 hexes).

The open skirmish line in an AssaultSituation speaks for itself. It allows maxi-mum fire to the front, and minimizes EF andblast effects. A third-best formation is theopen (2-5 hexes) fireteam file with point (6-10hexes in front). This applies only to AmbushSituations (Patrol, also, if your opponentagrees to free formations).4. Artillery: The Designer's Notes mentionthat there might be a tendency amonggamers to maneuver into their own barrage ...the type of person that does this is one whoasks if he is allowed to "ram" in Dread-nought. To those of a gentler persuasion,here are some hints on its use:

Never drop your entire barrage on the sameTurn. Break them into several "sticks;" afterall, a round stuns even if it doesn't kill; itgives you valuable time.Target at least two rounds per barrage perpillbox. If luck is with you, you'll crack thatshell.Smoke should be dropped in the last stick.This gives you a minimum of one or moremaneuver Turns. A favorite trick is to break a20-round barrage into five 4-round sticks,falling on Turns Two to Six, the last stickbeing smoke.Called artillery is another problem. Usually,it is given to the defender in an AssaultSituation. Since you really don't know whereyour opponent will be, it is good practice totarget your rounds for the general area ofyour own positions (as close as you dare) andhope that he doesn't daudle. In one Scenario,I was facing an opponent far more capablethan I, so I targetted my rounds for my ownpositions and held him off as long as I could.The result was a draw.

5. Mines: These things give you the ability tocover terrain that you can't by direct fire. Aspread of mines behind a slope will give youropponent pause about using that ridge. If hehas an APC or tank, mix them up. In orderto discharge passengers safely, an APC has togo to cover. If you've guessed right, thatcarrier will disable itself and lose a lot of itspassengers.

6. Placement of Static Positions: A verysimple concept. They should deny terrainbenefits and give mutual support. Thesecond is by far the most important; if a manwith a satchel charge gets into a blind spot,forget it.

7. Tanks: A tank is simultaneously an assetand a liability. If your enemy has no anti-tank capability, it may be used withimpunity. However, an RL or a couple ofsatchel charges makes life difficult. If youropponent has AT capability, use your tank asa mobile gun platform. A few devastatinglight rounds from the main gun, coupledwith the devastating MG power of thisvehicle will make all the difference in thelong run. Keep it opened up, and away fromthe MG or AT fire of the positions. Cavalrycharges are a definite "no-no."

8. APe's: An APC will allow you to getthrough difficult terrain much faster than onfoot. However, it IS never to be mistaken for atank. Another thing to remember is that todischarge passengers safely, the APC must"go to ground." This brings up the problem

of mines. If lucky enough to possess bothartillery and an APC, use at least one roundas an "engineer," clearing a spot in coveringterrain to discharge your passengers.

9. Errata: Never trade an RL for an FT; theliabilities far outweigh the benefits. Horses,when present, make for quick maneuver, butthe cavalry became obsolesent by theinvention of the rifle; don't charge. Barbedwire is only a minor obstacle unless coveredby fire.

These are some general principles which willserve you well if properly applied, but it isnow time to get down to...

CASESSituation l-r-Patrol: Run or Fight?This chance meeting of opposing forces onpatrol is, to say the least, hairy. Present USArmy tactical doctrine states that avoidanceof enemy patrols is second only to theaccomplishment of the reconaissance mis-sion. However, the rules have set it up so thatif you run, you lose... so it goes. Therefore,some extremely flexible rules should be setdown for this situation. [N.B. this sectionrefers to the standard situation withoutplayer formation modifications.]a) Contact in open (enemy in open): Youropponent may well be a conservative playerand try to get to cover before opening up; ifso, you have him. If not, a draw is better thana loss.b) Contact in open (enemy in cover, wholly orpartially): If you try to get to cover, theenemy will have you; shoot first, get to coverlater.c) Contact under cover, wholly or partially(enemy in open): Use half of your men to fire,the other half, KF then PG. (Running aftergetting your licks in on first post-contactTurn is a viable option).d) Contact in cover (enemy under cover):This option leaves much to be desired. Ifyours is the weaker force, then a quick flurryof gunfire followed by running for your exitedge is an important choice.Remember, in all sub-situations, the enemy'sdisposition is the deciding factor. A draw isbetter than nothing.

Situation 2-Recon: I Know He's ThereAlthough not specifically stated, there is animplication that the Bravo Player must tellthe Alpha which sector he is deployed in;terrific. Anyway, the problem is very simple.Since there is no time-limit, the best bet is tocome in from at least two sides after smokingup the sector. Chances are that one of yourmen will stumble (literally) upon the pillbox,and give you the game. Keep to cover, andminimize losses. Have at least two men"spot" the target (this maximizes Alpha'schances of getting the extra Points).

If playing Bravo, seldom garrison thePillbox. I realize that this goes contrary towhat I said about utilizing the best possiblecover, but ... A Player usually places his mosteffective weapon in a Pillbox (MG or AR).Placing it elsewhere may draw the AlphaPlayer to the gun thinking 'wheresoever thereis the Pillbox, there also is the MG.'

Also, Alpha is not the only Player withsmoke. Popping smoke in your own areaminimizes visibility and is valuable if there isan 'effective' near the Pillbox, when theAlpha team breaks through the haze.Situation 3-Raid:I Shoot You, Then You Shoot Me.I don't like the Raid Situation. The secretdeployment of the Bravo Player puts most ofthe early game odds in his favor. The AlphaPlayer literally has to brave a storm of lead toaccomplish his mission. The only advantageis numbers. Basically, use smoke, cover andmovement to minimize losses. Don't get allpsyched up to take prisoners. If the BravoPlayer's positions are mutually supporting,this could be very costly indeed.

For the Bravo Player, it is a much simplermatter. Shoot them as you see them, andhope for the best. Amov should be able toshoot into the Bravo position if necessary.Support and concealment are in your favor.

Situation 4-Ambush:They're Here Somewhere ...An ambush is one of the most fearedoccurances in an infantryman's existence(second only to artillery). Department of theArmy statistics show that in a close ambush(20-40 meters, 4-8 hexes) IOfJ'lo casualtiesoccur within the first five seconds (one Turn).The only thing the Alpha Player has that canoffset the disadvantages of a close ambush isdistance. With this in mind, the Alpha Playershould place his men in such a formation,that EF and grenade blast effect are mini-mized. The open double-wedge is by far thebest; the open fireteam file with point is apoor second. After contact, depending uponcasualties, the option of running or fightingis left open. If your casusalties exceed 50%,run.The Bravo Player has, by far, the greatestnumber of options. The type of ambush is upto him. There are several ambush forma-tions:1) The Single Line: Very simply in theory andexecution. The men are in a single line incover, distance between elements is left to thePlayer's discretion.2) The L-Shaped Ambush: This is a littlemore difficult, since the Alpha Player mustblunder into the area between the arms of the"L." This formation lessens effectiveness ifonly one of the arms is triggered.3) The X Ambush: This is extremely effectivesince no matter what the direction ofapproach, the Alpha Player is in a cross-fire.

13

4) The Double-Line: Effective only if theenemy comes between your two formations.Especially effective in a built-up area (inSniper!).

These are the basic formations for the BravoPlayer. The one thing to remember is thatyou should go for the bulk of the enemy; ifthis means letting the point-man escape, doso. (Claymore mines can only be minimized;distance, and, to some extent, cover may giveAlpha a chance.)

Situation 5-Assault: Over the Top?For Alpha, cover, grenades, artillery and .tanks should be used to the fullest. If luckyenough to have grenade-launchers as well,use them; distance is only slightly mini-mizing.

For Bravo, mutual support, pillboxes, mines,etc., all should be used. With an RL, don't gofor the long shot. Wait until that tank orAPC gets a little closer. With satchel charges,drop or place, don't throw (this applies toboth sides).

For both sides, keep moving and firing.Grenades and shells are your most effectiveweapons, followed by the MG and AR.

These basic tactics should give both Playersin any situation approximately equalchances. Remember that they are guidelines.The Player who does it by the book will lose.The book is written as you go along.

ORGANIZATION'LEG' INFANTRY2 AW cum M203 grenade launcher, 2 AR, 7AW.'MECH' INFANTRY1 APC cum ca1.50MG, 1 Driver, 1 Gunner, 1MG (M60), 2 AW cum M203 GL, 2 AR, 4AW.

I have a tendency to foam at the mouth whenI look at the US squad organization for the1970's. Several things have been omitted,and the 10 AW given for the squad is, to saythe least, inaccurate. First of all, the infantrysquad for the Army has two breakdowns ...one for leg infantry, and one for mech.Secondly, one very important weapon, andone or two important tactical doctrines forthe basic squad, are left out.

The M203 GL is a 40mm weapon which isattached to the M16Al assault rifle in an"over-and-under" configuration. It is in allways comparable to the M79 GL, of which itis a bastardization. You see, the army foundthat giving an infantryman an M79 deniedhim the use of his basic weapon, the rifle.This not only left him at a loss at ranges ofless than 35 meters, but seriously decreasedthe firepower of the squad. The M203 is acomposite. It allows a soldier the use of bothweapons without loss of the modern-day"knee mortar." Therefore, it is necessary todesignate two members of the infantry squadas grenadiers, the only difference being that

[contin~ed ~n page 29]

offshoot of StarForce, as both share acommon "history." Combat is on anindividual level; each Game-Turn represents15-30 seconds of elapsed time, and each hexequals one kilometer. This large scale isnecessary due to the extreme mobility anddestructiveness of the units involved; whichare assumed to be cybernetic combinationsof "man" and machine. The map is full-sizedand multi-purpose in order to simulate arange of possible environments. Units in thegame will include humans, and the alien raceof the Rame, L'Chal-Dah, Xenophobes, andvarious indigenous life-forms.

Fire and movement are simultaneous withina unusual game sequence, which divides aTurn into two complete halves, with unitsallocating Movement Points for variousfunctions. This can be either for movement(in ground, nape of earth, or high altitudemodes), or for combat (both direct andindirect means are provided for). This isfurther modified by an Efficiency Rating.Defensively, counter-measures can be ap-plied to thwart an attack. A number ofcombat situations will be provided as well asa background history and a link game withStarForce so that Players can create theirown scenarios based on a developingstrategic situation. =-Tom Walczyk

War in the East/War in EuropeThis. massive project is finally beginning toenter the home stretch. The 1945 "Battle forGermany" Scenario is proceeding well, andseems to accurately portray the problemsfaced by all the sides involved. On theWestern Front, the Germans may attempt anabortive "Ardennes Offensive," but mustotherwise stand fast as they already occupyfine defensive positions. In the East, how-ever, the Axis must retreat before thecrushing weight of the Soviet artillery. InItaly, nothing much happens as everyone istrapped in a sea of mud. One rule that hasbeen developed concerns the total cessationof German production (due to bombing andloss of areas by enemy occupation), an eventwhich places the entire Geman Army out ofsupply. Also in preparation are the two rulesbooklets and extensive errata and addendacorrecting all the things we said wrong inWar in the West. -Tom Walczyk

FEEDBACK RESULTS, MOVES 26Rank Article

1. Designers' Notes2. Basic Wargame Library3. Oil War4. Forward Observer5. Mech War Scenarios6. Battle of Nations7. Friday Night Follies8. Opening Moves9. Footnotes

10. Third Reich11. Fast Carriers12. PlaybackThis issue (overall)

Rating7.226.786.636.626.516.326.316.246.176.126.116.086.67

Patrol! [continued from page 13]

while the rules for the M79 apply, they arenever unarmed since they still have rifles.They may fire their GL's, then fire their riflesin the next Turn, or reload the GL, but whiletheir launchers may be in an unloadedcondition, they are never unarmed.

The next changes are a matter of doctrine.The infantry squard has (ideally) eleven andnot ten members. All members of the squadare taught to fire their AW's on semi- ratherthan full-automatic, with the exception oftwo "automatic riflemen" who are to usetheir weapons on fully automatic at all times.Therefore, they would be faced with the sameproblem as the BAR man of an earlierperiod; i.e., they may run a clip out withoutrealizing it. Although the men are carryingMI6's, they should be designated AR with allof the advantages and liabilities.

You perhaps have noticed that the "mech"squad contains eleven men. "Aha," you say,"you only can fit ten in an APC." Wrong!The M113 is designed to carry afull squad.Obviously, this means a small modificationof the APC rules when the M113 (or M59) isused.The squad is also armed with the LAW(minimum, two; maximum, as many as canbe carried). This is a single-shot, REA Tround capable of engaging a tank, APC,pillbox, etc. at 200 meters. Therefore, whendealing with the US squad, the RL is asingle-shot and reverts to an RF(AW) unlessdesignated as carrying more than one LAW.

The unit breakdowns above are accurate,although they show an ideal situation. SincePatrol! represents such a situation, I believethat they will add to the realism of the gamewithout added paperwork.

FEEDBACK RESULTS, MOVES 25Rank Article1. Designers' Notes2. Sterling Persons, Inc.3. World War! Profile4. Forward Observer5. Game Design Seminar III6. Footnotes7. Playback8. Opening MOVES9. Complicating Blue & Gray

10. Sorcerer ScenariosThis issue (overall)

Rating7.166.656.536.396.346.316.116.015.845.746.41

NOTE: The Feedback Results for MOVES 25 aspublished were in error. The above are the correctresults.

29Narvik [continuedfrompage 11]

unit, however, will not keep the Allies out.You will have to allocate three transports andone battalion. This operation has a 500/0chance of success. The operation is notwithout its risks; if unsuccessful, you will losefour air units and a battalion.Division headquarters are crucial to theGerman operation. Without headquarterunits, stacking restrictions will limit theGermans to about 15 Combat.' StrengthPoints in a hex, whereas with the head-quarters, two full divisions- can be in thesame hex. A division without a headquartersbecomes relatively useless to the Germans,and headquarters are frequently lost intransit. To prevent the loss of these units,they can be transported by air, while theother units of the division come in by seatransport.

You will find yourself fighting your wayalong the railroad from Oslo to Trondheimon about Turn Four. The Allied Player willbe trying to delay you as much as possiblewith the tactics discussed earlier. You canspeed the advance by using motorized unitsto move after combat, capturing ground thatordinarily would be defended on the nextTurn. Mountain units can move quicklythrough the mountains between the two, raillines, cutting off Allied retreats and makingpossible a two-front attack. The basic secrethere is to attack any available unit; thenature of the Allied defense will keepdefending forces small, practically assuringsix-to-one odds on any unit you can attack.

Keeping units in supply may present aproblem to the inexperienced GermanPlayer, but after realizing the potential valueof his air units for this purpose he will haveno difficulty in overcoming it. All Ju52transports are capable of dropping suppliesanywhere on the map. There are eighteenJu52's capable of providing supplies for up tosix attacks.

Transports not carrying supplies can airliftunits. The German forces at the Trondheimairfield can be reinforced by this procedure.All types of units may be airlifted, includingartillery and armor.

German bombers can disrupt units on theground, break rail lines (which can be usefulto keep Allied units out of supply), and bombports. The Ju88A bombers, stationed at theTrondheim airfield, can neutralize anyairfield on the map. This proves to be veryuseful when the Allies launch an air attackon Narvik, using the Bardufoss airfield for abase. F~hters, although some have bombingfactors, are most useful for intercepting ordeterring Allied air attacks.